Contents

• Introduction 2
• E-governance- A Theoretical Perspective 2
• Cultural Barriers 3
• Structural Barriers 3
• Administrative and Managerial Barriers 4
• Cross Agency and Cross Jurisdictional Barriers 4
• The shortfalls of E-government of Australia 5
• Proposed Plans to Overcome the Shortfalls 5
• Cross –Cultural Monitoring Committee 5
• Assigning Contracts to Consortium of Agencies rather than Individual Agencies 6
• Single Window Services 6
• Help Desk at Public Utility Offices in Rural Areas 7
• Conclusion 8
• References 9

Description

Since the advent of internet e-governance has changed the way governments deliver services to people. Australia is one of the pioneers of incorporating e-governance. Although, e-government is expected to increase efficiency, cut time and costs, there are still many concerns from the users that need to be addressed. Audit reports suggest that e-government in Australia is not as cost effective as it should be and the resources are wasted rather than utilized optimally. The users too, face issues in certain areas or operations of e-government especially in those services that span multiple jurisdictions of states. Managerial, cultural, structural and jurisdictional barriers in the operations of e-government that are found to be responsible for the shortfalls of e-government of Australia. The paper analyses these issues in depth and proposes plans to overcome the shortfalls. The paper recommends the government to grant contracts to consortium of companies rather than individual companies offering different services. The paper also recommends the government to set up a ‘single window’ online service to cater to requests that span jurisdictions. The paper also recommends the government to set up helpdesk in rural areas so that the rural populace too can benefit from e-governance system.